


Can't Take the Sky From Me

by Fanforthefics (StormDancer)



Series: Hockey Tumblr Oneshots [22]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-26 15:49:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16684528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormDancer/pseuds/Fanforthefics
Summary: “But what do you want?” Geno demands again. “Not what you are, what do you want?”For a second, Sid’s gaze dips down to Geno’s lips, just for long enough that Geno notices. “Freedom,” he says, soft. “And a lot of things I can’t have.”





	Can't Take the Sky From Me

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: Space AU + Its not you, it's my enemies
> 
> Don't know, don't own, etc
> 
> (and yes, the title is from Firefly)

Geno doesn’t ask many questions, when they take on passengers. There’s no real reason too; between him and the rest of the crew, they know most of the lower or midlevel criminals, and the Penguin, as amazing as she is, isn’t luxurious enough to attract any of the high end criminals or anyone from the Alliance–and too clearly marked as Federation sympathizer for any Alliance either. And there’s no reason to suspect anything, anyway; they’re just passengers. There’s no reason to suspect Sidney Crosby is anything more than the traveler he said he was. (Geno will come to regret that). 

Within days, it becomes clear that Sidney is not just a traveler. Day two, “I want him off my ship,” Geno mutters, as Sidney makes ‘suggestions’ to Flower about improvements they could make to their engine, and to Jake about routes, and to Tanger about the gym, and to Geno about the duty rosters. 

Day 7, “He is never leaving my ship,” Geno says, as Sidney calmly and cooly picks up a gun at a drop gone wrong, never hesitating about the fact that a) they told him this was a legit deal, b) people are shooting at him, c) they’re cornered on a clifftop and the ship is barely moving. “I’ve got this,” Sidney says, and shoots one of the guys coming at them. “You get the ones on Flower.” Geno goes. Sidney takes care of it. 

“Who are you?” Geno asks that evening, when they’re limping through the sky again. 

Sidney smiles, a smile without any emotion behind it. “A farmer.” 

“Farmer’s can’t use a gun like that,” Tanger says. Sidney’s smile is still in place. 

“This one can.” 

Geno wants more, so much more. But he doesn’t ask. He has a feeling, even then, he doesn’t want to know. 

So Sidney stays, and he becomes Sid, and he’s still technically a passenger but you’d never know it from how underfoot he is. Geno stops wondering why he’s at Geno’s side and starts wondering when he isn’t. 

“You need to get him off your ship,” Gonch says quietly, when they’re planetside in between jobs and visiting him in his retirement. Sid’s talking quietly with some of the crew, Jake and Conor and Tanger all listening to something he’s saying. He must sense Geno watching him, because he glances up, smiles. It’s a real smile, easy and relaxed–not a smile Geno sees much, but one he prizes. More than he should, probably, but every time he edged into Sid’s space Sid didn’t move away. 

“Why? He’s useful,” Geno replied, when he remembered to look away from Sidney. 

“He’s dangerous.” 

“I know,” Geno agrees. Sid’s incredibly dangerous. It’s devastatingly attractive, Sid with a gun in his hands and a enemy in his sights. It’s terrifying. It makes Geno wonder. 

“Not like that. He’s not a man who’ll follow for long,” Gonch says, serious. “If you want your ship to still be your ship, you need him to leave.” 

Geno snorts. “The Penguin is mine,” he says, and Gonch raises his eyebrows, gestures at Sid holding court. 

“For how long?” he asks. 

It’s ridiculous, Geno knows, because his ship is his ship and his crew is loyal, but–it catches at him. Every time Sid makes a suggestion, gives an order, argues with Geno. Is that what Sid’s after? Is that what his sidelong smiles are about, the late nights in Geno’s quarters as they go over the budget, the way Sid stands at his back with a gun on jobs? Is he after the Penguin, and that’s all? 

“Do you want to be captain?” Geno asks one day, when it’s just the two of them on the bridge. 

“You’re captain,” Sid answers, but it’s in that tone of voice he has that isn’t a tone at all. 

“But do you want to be?” 

Sid sighs, and looks out into the black. “I’ve been a captain,” he says, which is more than any of them have ever heard about Sid other than that he’s a farmer. 

“You’ve had your own ship?” Geno confirms. He’s not surprised. Sid knows the stars like the back of his hand. 

“I’ve been a lot of things,” Sid says, and turns to Geno. “Now I’m a passenger on the Penguin.” 

“But what do you  _want_?” Geno demands again. “Not what you are, what do you want?” 

For a second, Sid’s gaze dips down to Geno’s lips, just for long enough that Geno notices. “Freedom,” he says, soft. “And a lot of things I can’t have.” 

Geno swallows, and reaches out. Puts his hand on Sid’s. “You sure you can’t have?” he asks, and hears Sid’s breath catch. 

But then Sid moves his hand. “Yes,” he says, and stands. Against the black of the universe, he looks like something out of the old stories Geno’s mother used to tell, of the old ship captain heroes who flew in on their ships and turned the tides of wars. Geno doesn’t much believe in those old stories, not since the latest war turned tide in the wrong way for him after the Captain of the Alliance made his final, brilliant maneuver at the Battle of Vancouver and made it clear the Federation was done, but if anyone could be one, Geno thinks Sid might. “I’m sorry, but yes.” 

And so it goes, this pining that isn’t quite pining, the thing between them they both know but won’t say, because Geno won’t push and Sid says he can’t. 

Until a job goes very wrong, and Jake’s shot, and he’s dying. They all know. There’s no miracle coming here to save this gut wound, not out in the black like they are. They’re all gathered around the medbay, and Geno’s holding back tears, when Sid stands, and walks out. 

It’s not like him; he and Jake were–are–close. Geno follows. Sid’s standing just outside, his hands curled around a railing and his knuckles white. “Sid?” 

Sid looks up. “I can save him,” he says, and Geno’s heart leaps. It doesn’t explain why Sid’s face is white as death. “And I will. But you have to promise not to ask any questions.” 

Geno doesn’t think there’s anything he wouldn’t promise, for that. “Okay.” 

Sid nods. “Go hail the nearest Alliance ship.” 

Geno’s heart leaps again, for a different reason. “What? Sid–”

“Do you trust me?” Sid asks, and maybe Geno shouldn’t, but–

“Yes.” 

“Then hail them.” Geno looks inside, at Jake on the bed, and goes. The person he hails basically hangs up on him, but then Sid comes in, and drops a code, and suddenly everything is happening very fast. They’re docked at the Alliance station. Jake is on a gurney. People are saluting and calling Sid ‘Sir’ and looking at him with huge, worshipful eyes–or the rank and file are. The officer who comes out gives Sid a cool sneer that has Tanger’s hand on his gun and Geno’s arms crossed as he looms behind Sid. 

But Sid nods to the officer. “Stay here,” Sid tells Geno and the crew. 

“I’m the captain,” Geno snaps. “You aren’t going anywhere alone.” 

“Oh, how sweet,” The officer drawls. “Taking orders now, Crosby? I thought you were too high and mighty for that.” 

Sidney gives him his emotionless smile, then looks back over his shoulder at Geno. “Geno,” he says, and there’s a wealth of meaning behind the word that boils down to  _do you trust me_. “Let me handle this.” 

Geno’s not happy about it, but he’s also very not happy spending a moment more on an Alliance base than he has to, so he nods. 

“That’s the Captain Crosby we know,” the officer says, and slings an arm over Sid’s shoulder, performative and over-jovial, like he knows everyone’s watching. “Now, Crosby. Let’s talk.” He leads Sid away. 

Geno and the crew wait, as the hours tick by. Geno manages only a few pointed comments about the Alliance under his breath. 

Then Jake is back, still in bed but clearly healthy, and then Sid is too, walking back in with the officer who slaps him on the back hard, still performing for the troops. “It was good to see you, Crosby, eh?” he says, too sharp to be friendly. “Just like old times in Vancouver. I’ll give Admiral Lemeiux your regards. I know he and Admiral Jagr are interested in where you’ve been.” 

Sidney nods, as sharp, and gets back on the ship. 

“Scrub it,” Geno orders, as soon as they’re out of range of the base, and everyone goes to scrub the ship for tracking or bugs. “Not you,” he grabs Sidney’s arm before he goes, and doesn’t let go until they’re in Geno’s bunk, which is the most secure place he can think of. 

Sid lets him drag him, but when Geno lets go he stands like before a firing squad. “You said you wouldn’t ask questions,” he says, but he’s resigned like he knows that isn’t happening. 

Geno doesn’t ask. There are things he’s putting together he doesn’t want to. No one knows the name of the Captain at Vancouver. All the holos of him are from far away. Outside the Alliance inner ranks no one knows who he was, but he was brilliant and young and the great hero of the Alliance. Sid is brilliant and not so young but would have been at Vancouver and is, apparently, high enough in the Alliance that admirals know him by name. 

“Why are you here?” he asks at last. “I have to know. To protect the crew.” 

Sid lets out a long breath. His hands are still clenched into fists. 

“No one won the war.” His voice is flat and even.

“Alliance won the war.” 

“No one won,” Sid repeats. “I was at that table, and all the grand ideals of the Alliance, all the ideals of the Federation–it was just politics, in the end. Just more power for powerful people and games. It wasn’t Alliance or Federation, just rich and poor.” He shakes his head. “And they all wanted me.” He looks evenly at Geno, not saying anything, not confirming. But of course the hero of Vancouver would be the ultimate pawn in the Alliance’s power games. “I didn’t want it. I wanted to help people. And then I just wanted to be free.” 

“And you’re free here.” 

“Nothing but us and the black, right?” Geno knows. Geno knows the feeling. There’s no freedom like being on a ship. 

“Did you put us in danger?” Geno demands, because otherwise–because he’ll have to think about Sid, who he loves, and the Captain at Vancouver, who he hates. “Will they look for us?” 

“They’re always going to be looking for me,” Sidney replies, bleak. “I’m too important for them not to. Either because they want to play me, or to ‘protect’ me, but they all want to use me.” Geno’s heart does a thing again. That’s a cold life. “But no, we’re fine this time. He won’t tell anyone what ship I’m on. As long as I’m out of play, he has more power.” Sid swallows. “And I’ll get off at the next stop. They won’t care about you then.” 

Geno looks at Sid, standing military straight, like those old heroes. But there are bags under his eyes and Geno knows what haunts Sid, a little, and they’re all running from something out here. Federation is gone, and Sid’s not the hero of the Alliance anymore, not out here. He’s just Sid. Who bickers with Geno and makes him better, makes them all better. 

“You won’t,” he says, and Sid looks up, his eyes lit with a raw, pained hope. “Not if you don’t want to. I think Flower would stage a mutiny if I let you go.” 

Sid’s smile breaks over his face, bright and incredulous, and Geno can’t help but reach out, grab Sid’s hand again, ease it open from its tight fists. “This–is this why there are things you can’t have?” he asks, and that hope is in his chest too. He knows, now. “The secrets?” 

Sid’s hand is dry in Geno’s, but there’s a world in his eyes. “They’d never stop looking for you either,” he tells Geno, intense. “You’d be a pawn too. I won’t do that to you.” 

“I can handle the Alliance.” 

Sid’s mouth twists, and he pulls his hand away. “You shouldn’t have to,” he says in a voice that feels like Geno’s cracking heart.  

But Geno understands. He understands Sid, and he understands what it is to be a captain, and he understands what it is to wait until the cards have gone to your favor. 

“But you’ll stay?” he asks, and hopes it doesn’t sound like he’s begging. 

Sid smiles again, and it feels like sunrise. “If you still want me, I’ll stay.” 

“You’ll stay,” Geno says, a statement, and smiles too. As long as Sid stays, there’ll be time to convince him of everything else. That out here in the black, just them and the Penguin and the crew, they can be free. 

**Author's Note:**

> Liked it? Want to talk about it? Comment or come chat on tumblr at [ fanforthefics!](http://fanforthefics.tumblr.com/)


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